Full Time Pet Care Specialist

Full-Time Pet Care Specialist — Cattails Lodge & 4-Legged Kids

We are hiring a full-time, hourly team member to split their week between Cattails Lodge, our cat-only luxury boarding facility, and 4-Legged Kids, our in-home dog walking and pet sitting company. This is a hands-on, cross-trained role for someone who genuinely loves both dogs and cats and wants steady, full-time hours instead of picking up occasional shifts.

Schedule

This position works 35-40 hours a week on a two-week rotating schedule with working one weekend then a true three-day weekend (Saturday, Sunday, Monday) every other week. Shifts are variable include both morning and evening shifts. This is not a Monday through Friday schedule, so if you're looking for a job with the exact same hours every week, this isn't it. If you want steady, predictable structure with variety in your days, it's a great fit.

Required Skills and Experience

• Real, hands-on experience with cats specifically, not just general pet familiarity. You should be comfortable reading cat body language and handling a wide range of temperaments, including anxious or resistant cats.
• Comfortable and confident administering medication to cats in all forms, including injectable (such as insulin), or willing to be trained on medication administration as part of onboarding.
• General pet care experience with multiple species, including dogs of all breeds and sizes.
• Ability to work independently with minimal to no supervision.
• Ability to safely lift 50 pounds and walk at a brisk pace for 30 minutes at a time, multiple times a day.
• Comfortable picking up light administrative and marketing tasks, things like client communication follow-up, basic scheduling support, occasional help with social content, and being comfortable stepping into the offices of our marketing partners to drop off materials, build relationships, and handle other light marketing duties. This isn't a desk job, but a few hours a week will involve this kind of support work. Priority is given to pet care duties.
• Your own functional, reliable transportation.
• A newer smartphone (iOS 9 or newer, Android 4.1 or newer).

Responsibilities

• Provide direct care to boarding cats at Cattails Lodge, including feeding, medication administration, litter and enrichment, and daily health and behavior monitoring per our protocols.
• Provide walking, feeding, and pet sitting visits for 4-Legged Kids clients, mainly dogs and cats along with other pets, following each client's care plan.
• Communicate clearly and consistently with the central office, including shift reports and client updates.
• Support light admin and marketing tasks as assigned, coordinated with the office team.
• Provide client communication, education, and follow-up as needed.
• Participate as a team member in company events and programs across both brands.

Benefits

• Consistent full-time hours with a predictable two-week rotation
• Every-other-week three-day weekend
• Company 401K
• Tips (most employees have effective rate of $22-25 per hour with tips)
• Ongoing paid training
• Room to grow as both companies expand

What is 4-Legged Kids?

We care for other people's pets while they work or travel. Our clients trust us, and we treat their fur family like our own. We are the largest pet sitting and dog walking company in the St. Louis area, with a diverse team of pet lovers providing thousands of visits a month for clients from St. Louis city out to St. Charles County.

We are looking for pet lovers who understand and accept the responsibilities we place on them, because our clients depend on us. We don't just play with cute kitties and puppies. We walk dogs when it's 90 degrees or below freezing out. You may have to carry a dog up and down stairs, lift food bags, or search under every couch and bed for a cat. We clean up after them, feed them, administer medication, and go above and beyond for our clients.

What is Cattails Lodge?

Cattails Lodge is our cat-only luxury boarding facility, built from the ground up for cats and nothing else. No barking, no chaos, just a calm, dedicated space where cats are cared for by our Catcierge team. Every stay includes real attention to each cat's routine, health, and comfort. Curiosity thrilled the cat. All cats, all the time.

A Few More Things to Know

This business runs on variable schedules, and that's true across both brands. Some days and weeks will look different from others. If that kind of change and variety sounds energizing rather than stressful, you'll do well here.

Beyond dogs and cats, you may also care for birds, caged pets, fish, chickens, and other animals our clients trust us with, so a genuine comfort level across species matters here.

You'll receive ongoing education and training on pet care and animal behavior across both dogs and cats, including hands-on training for medication administration if needed. Admin support is always a phone call away.

We're looking for mature, responsible people who are reliable, patient, and capable of independent action. We invest real time and money into training our team and ask for a minimum six-month commitment. We'd rather have you for years.

We will not consider anyone currently employed as a caregiver for another company, or as an independent or online pet care service provider, who wishes to remain so. Applicants must be at least 18 years old with a high school diploma or equivalent, and able to clear a thorough background check.

Be sure to check your spam folder for emails from 4-Legged Kids and Cattails Lodge.

What is 4-Legged Kids?

We care for other people’s pets while they work or travel. Our clients trust us and we treat their fur family like our own! We are the largest pet sitting/ dog walking company in the STL area with a diverse team of over 30 pet lovers providing over 2500 visits a month for hundreds of clients from St. Louis city out to St. Charles County. We provide an excellent opportunity for flexible and rewarding work.

What else do I need to know about joining the 4-Legged Kids Team?

We are looking for pet lovers who understand and accept the responsibilities we will place on them- our clients depend on us! We do not just play with cute kitties and puppies. We walk dogs when it's 90 degrees or below freezing out. You may have to carry a dog up and down stairs, lift food bags or search under every couch and bed for a cat. We clean up after them, feed them, administer medication, and go above and beyond for our clients.

This business is variable and schedules will vary from day to day. We realize working under these flexible and changing conditions can be difficult for some people. This is the nature of our industry and your dependability in this area is crucial. If you enjoy change and variety in the workplace then this will be perfect for you!

I can handle that! What else do I need to know?

You will receive ongoing education and training on various aspects of pet care and behavior.. You will be trained to handle unexpected situations in pet care and admin support is a phone call away.

We are looking for mature, responsible people who are reliable, patient, and capable of independent action. We invest time and money into training our employees and require a minimum 6-month commitment… we would rather have you for years! We are #1 in the St. Louis area and look forward to finding out more about you!